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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26845591">Constellations</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/quilleth/pseuds/quilleth'>quilleth</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff and Smut, Other, Tumblr Prompt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 13:28:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>688</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26845591</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/quilleth/pseuds/quilleth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tamsin had always wondered what it must be like to have galaxies dusted across your skin. They settle for admiring the constellations they find in Mason's freckles instead.</p>
<p>Written for Wayhaven Week 2020 for the prompt "Dawn"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Detective/Mason (The Wayhaven Chronicles), Non-binary detective/Mason</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Constellations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hazy light filtered across the tangled navy blue sheets on Tamsin’s bed. Honestly surprised to find Mason still in bed, they were more surprised that he was, by all appearances, still sleeping. The light warmed Mason’s skin and illuminated the trails of freckles, like stardust, scattered across his back and shoulders. Leaning up on one elbow, Tamsin smiled softly. They had always been a little envious of people with freckles, wondering what it would be like to have galaxies spread across their skin. They’d had to settle for tattoos of constellations and star maps instead.</p>
<p>With a sigh, Tamsin shifted carefully, trying not to disturb the vampire in their bed. Reaching out, they hesitantly ran a feather light touch, connecting several of Mason’s freckles. The Ram. Mason didn’t stir at the touch and they smiled, watching him. In sleep, all his sharp edges were softer, gentler somehow. Not quite like looking at a different person, they thought, but rather like looking at a different version, an alternate dimension Mason that hadn’t been through, well, whatever he had suffered through.</p>
<p>Not daring enough to risk actually touching him again and thus waking him up, Tamsin traced a wide, sideways ‘v.’ The freckles on Mason’s shoulder almost perfectly matched the stars that comprised the constellation Pisces, which they realized, meant they’d likely be able to find several other favorite constellations.<br/>
What started as an idle exercise turned into an active investigation, years spent making charts with a telescope in the backyard made mentally mapping out the shapes they sought a simple task. A triumphant smile crossed their lips. <i>And there’s Cygnus, right where I thought it might be</i>, they thought, spotting the swan nestled among other freckles that didn’t quite make the constellations found alongside it.</p>
<p>A lazy voice interrupted their thoughts, “See something you like?” The sly grin Mason shot Tamsin grew as they started back.</p>
<p>A gentle touch on their arm made Tamsin flush and pause mid retreat. “I was thinking how your freckles reminded me of the stars,” they said a little sheepishly.</p>
<p>Shifting to take advantage of the space, Mason curled an arm around Tamsin’s waist, his other hand coming up to touch the corner of their mouth. “I know other ways to make you smile like that,” he said, rubbing his thumb against their lower lip and smirking as their heartbeat increased.</p>
<p>“Like what?” they replied, fishing for a sign, a compliment, something.</p>
<p>“Satisfied.”</p>
<p>“Ah, so like you do most of the time then?”</p>
<p>One eyebrow raised, Mason shrugged. “If I look like that it’s because I know I have good reason to.”</p>
<p>Tamsin snorted. “Arrogant.”</p>
<p>“Honest.” Mason cupped a hand against the back of Tamsin’s neck and moved to kiss them.</p>
<p>“Smug,” they murmured into the kiss.</p>
<p>“But you like it,” Mason replied, hands wandering against Tamsin’s bare skin.</p>
<p>Feeling bold, they retorted, “Prove it then.”</p>
<p>With a growl, Mason pulled them into a lingering kiss, teeth scraping Tamsin’s lower lip as they sighed into it, melting against him as they were wont to do most of the time in these situations.</p>
<p>They couldn’t even be annoyed at the smug smile curving his lips where he pressed kisses along their neck. He was right—they did like it. They liked him. More than liked if they were totally honest, for all Mason didn’t want to hear them say it. But he was still in their bed, and it was morning, and clever hands were teasing sounds out of them that made them regret having neighbors. As they shifted, trying to get closer to engage in some exploration of their own, Tamsin knew that they would gladly spend the rest of their life chasing after stars with Mason, if it meant getting to have him in their life.</p>
<p>Even if it meant they would need to buy a new alarm clock, they thought hazily, as the shrilly ringing object made a sad dying screech as Mason slammed a hand down to silence it before returning his full attention back to Tamsin.</p>
<p>And even if it meant they were very, very late to work that morning.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The constellations are: The Ram: Aries for Mason's zodiac sign, Pisces for Tamsin's zodiac sign, and Cygnus, the swan, because swans mate for life and it's a romantic idea, even if they are terrible birds that remember when they were dinosaurs</p></blockquote></div></div>
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